Saturday's game will be the 41st all-time meeting between Holy Cross and Lafayette in the 31 year history of varsity basketball at Holy Cross.

THE SERIES: Holy Cross has won the last 19 meetings between the two schools, including eight straight games at the Hart Center. Last season, Holy Cross defeated the Leopards three times, including a first round victory in the Patriot League Tournament, which was also at the Hart Center.

The last time Lafayette defeated Holy Cross was a 75-69 win during the 1997-98 season in Pennsylvania. The Crusaders went on to win the Patriot League regular season and tournament titles that year, earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament in the process.

CONFERENCE OPENERS: Holy Cross has won 13 straight Patriot League conference openers and 14 of 15 overall, since the league began in 1990. Holy Cross has defeated Lafayette three times to begin league play over the years (94-95 season, 95-96 season, 90-91 season), but the last - and only - time the Crusaders lost a conference opening game was against Lafayette during the 1991-92 season when the Leopards took a 78-72 decision in Pennsylvania. Holy Cross has never lost a Patriot League conference opening game at home.

THIS TIME OUT: Holy Cross and Lafayette come into this afternoon's game with identical 4-8 records after slow starts to the 2005-06 campaign. The Crusaders have lost two straight and four of their last five games and are most recently coming off a disappointing 77-67 loss to Maine on Monday afternoon. The Crusaders have yet to string together consecutive wins this season, but four of their eight losses have come against Top 25 (#7 UConn (11-1); #21 Boston College (12-2)) or Top 25-caliber (Western Kentucky (10-2) - four votes; Virginia (10-1) - two votes) teams.

Lafayette comes into the game following a 73-47 loss at Princeton on Tuesday night in New Jersey. The Leopards have lost three straight and eight of their last nine after jumping out to a 3-0 record to start the season.

LAST TIME OUT: Bracey Barker poured in a game-high 25 points to lead the Maine women's basketball team to a 77-67 non-conference win over Holy Cross on Monday afternoon at the Portland Civic Center.

Senior guard Jessica Conte scored a career-high 20 points, 13 of which came in the first half. Junior Kaitlin Foley added 12 points, five rebounds and three steals, while senior guards Sarah Placek and Shannon Bush both had nine points. Bush also led the team with seven rebounds.

The Crusaders jumped out to a quick five point lead (14-9) after a Brittany Keil hoop at the 15:46 mark, but the Black Bears went on an 8-0 run to take a 17-14 lead with 12:20 remaining. A Laura Aloisi three-ball at the 12:01 mark broke the HC dry spell, tied the game at 17-all, and sparked a 9-2 Crusader run which put the Purple and White up 23-19 with 10:10 to go. The two teams then traded baskets over the next eight minutes, with five ties and three lead changes, and went into the break deadlocked at 35-35.

There were 10 total lead changes and seven ties in the first twenty minutes of action, as Holy Cross shot 48.1 percent from the floor, and Maine shot 43.3 percent, with 19 combined turnovers.

Holy Cross was up by one (39-38) after a Conte jumper at the 17:56 mark, but the Black Bears took hold of the lead following a Barker fast break hoop, and did not relinquish it. Maine had its largest lead of the game up to that point (58-46) with 11:17 remaining following two Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa free throws. The Crusaders fought back and responded with a 10-4 run which cut the lead to five (61-56) with 7:53 to go, but would not get any closer.

Holy Cross shot 45.3 percent from the field for the game, while the Black Bears converted 44.6 percent of their shots. Maine outrebounded Holy Cross, 45-22, including a 23-10 rebound advantage in the first.

NEXT TIME OUT: Holy Cross is back on the road for games at Army (Jan. 10) and Bucknell (Jan. 14), before concluding their non-conference schedule with a Jan. 16 showdown with second-ranked Duke at the Hart Center.

HOLY CROSS VERSUS THE PATRIOT LEAGUE: Today's game is the conference opener for both teams this season. Holy Cross is 165-31 (.842) in Patriot League play since its inception and is 96-8 when playing league opponents on the Hart Center floor. Under Bill Gibbons, Holy Cross is also 165-31 all-time in Patriot League action.

The Crusaders have 11 Patriot League regular season titles and 10 Patriot League Tournament titles in the 15-year history of the League. The only other team in the League's history that has more than one championship title is Fordham, a former member, who won two. Holy Cross is also coming off its 16th 20-win season under the direction of head coach Bill Gibbons.

SCOUTING THE LEOPARDS: Lafayette comes into today's game after a 73-47 loss at Princeton on Tuesday night. Lafayette began the season 3-0 after wins over Wagner (63-46), St. Francis (56-51) and LIU (63-48), but then went on a five-game skid until a 71-59 win over Fairleigh Dickinson just before the holiday break. But the Leopards have lost three straight since then, totaling eight losses in their last nine games.

The Leopards are led by five-foot-seven guard Kara Stetler, who is averaging 10.8 points per game. Not far behind Stetler is six-foot sophomore forward Vanessa Van de Venter, who is second on the team in both points (10.1 points per game) and rebounds (6.3 rebounds per game). Six-foot sophomore forward Brittany Purr leads the team in rebounding, pulling down 7.3 boards per contest. Purr also ranks fourth on the team in scoring with a 7.6 points per game average, just behind five-foot-eight senior guard Lindsay Myers' 7.7 points per game average.

Head Coach Tammy Smith is in her fifth season with the Leopards and has a career record of 129-176 (.423). She is 16-108 (.129) at Lafayette.

CONTE GOES FOR CAREER HIGH: Senior guard Jessica Conte pumped in a career-high 20 points at Maine on Monday. Conte was 7-for-12 from the floor, including two three-pointers, and 4-for-6 from the free throw line. Just two games prior, Conte had tied her previous best of 18 points against Boston University on Dec. 28. In the BU game, Conte was 4-for-5 from long range and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. She is currently tied for third on the team in scoring with a 9.0 points per game average and is tied for second on the team in three-pointers made (15), just one trey behind team leader, Shannon Bush (16 made).

Conte had a perfect shooting night at Boston College, going 3-for-3 from the floor, including a 2-for-2 night from behind the arc and a 1-for-1 showing at the free throw line for nine points, after a 3-for-6 night (nine points) against Saint Peter's. Conte scored perhaps the most important hoop of the night against the Peahens, when she nailed a three-ball to cut the Saint Peter's lead to one (41-40) with just over 11 minutes remaining. Conte's three-ball then triggered what would be a 14-0 Crusader run, which essentially gave Holy Cross the lead for good.

Conte has scored nine or more points in six out of 12 games this season. Additionally, she currently ranks third on the team in rebounding (3.8 rebounds per game), and third in the league in steals (2.08 spg).

HOME IS WHERE THE HART IS: Holy Cross has an all-time record of 293-78 (.790) at the Hart Center, and is just seven home wins away from its 300th victory in the 30-year old building.

The program's 100th win at the Hart Center came on January 9, 1988 when the Crusaders defeated the University of New Hampshire, 86-67. It's 200th win at the Hart Center came on February 5, 1997 when the Crusaders defeated Army, 92-59.

Holy Cross has posted a record of 51-18 (.739) at home over the course of the last six seasons, including its 1-2 mark this season.

MINI MILESTONES: Senior Shannon Bush and junior Brittany Keil both recently hit the 500th career point mark. Bush reached passed the 500 point mark on Dec. 28 against BU, while Keil scored her 500th at UConn on Dec. 19. Additionally, seniors Jessica Conte and Sarah Placek recently played in their 100th career game. Conte hit the milestone against BU, while Placek checked into her 100th career game against Virginia on Dec. 29.

BUSH NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Just one day after senior Shannon Bush set a career-high with seven rebounds against Boston University, the five-foot-11 guard grabbed eight boards against Virginia, setting a new career mark. For her efforts at the Marriot Cavalier Classic, Bush was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Bush was one of just two Crusaders to reach double figures against Virginia, totaling 10 points, a career-high eight rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of action. One day earlier against Boston University, Bush recorded 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Bush is currently second on the team in scoring this season with an 11.5 points per game average. The Pennsylvania native played well at nationally-ranked UConn after totaling 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals. She totaled 17 points against URI, had 14 points at BC, and turned in fine all-around performance with 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in 24 minutes of action against Saint Peter's. She is also averaging 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals.

Bush scored a career-high 20 points in the second game of the season at UMass, where she was 6-for-14 from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

QUICK HITTERS: Jessica Conte scored a career-high 20 points at Maine ... Shannon Bush was named to the 2005 Marriott Cavalier Classic All-Tournament Team ... Sarah Placek tied a season-high with 14 points against Virginia, grabbed a season-high five rebounds and tied a season-high with four assists against BU ... Kaitlin Foley had a career-high 20 points, played a career-high 38 minutes and tied for career highs in assists and steals vs. URI ... Jessica Conte had a season-high seven rebounds and five steals vs. URI ... Brittany Keil pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds and tied season-highs with 16 points and five assists against Memphis ... Laura Aloisi had a season-high three steals to go along with six points, six rebounds and six assists against Memphis ... Jessica Pearson shot 1.000 percent from the floor against Memphis and scored a career-high nine points (3-for-3), inlcuding two triples in a career-high 12 minutes of action ... Jessica Merrihue scored the first points of her career against Memphis after draining a long ball in six minutes of action ... Ashley McLaughlin had season-highs in points (seven) and assists (two), and tied a career-high with three steals against Memphis.

BACK IN THE LINE UP: Sophomore point guard Laura Aloisi is back in the Holy Cross line up after missing the UConn game and almost two weeks of practice with a case of plantar fasciitis. In Wednesday's game against Boston University, Aloisi recorded two assists, one block and a steal in her first start since the Dec. 7 Rhode Island game. The five-foot-nine Aloisi played sparingly against Virginia (14 minutes) and at Maine (12 minutes) and is listed as day-to-day with the injury.

FOLEY HELD UNDER 10: Junior center Kaitlin Foley was held to seven points against Virginia, marking the first game all season long that she has been held under 10 points. Foley was 2-for-3 from the floor and 3-for-3 from the free throw line in 25 minutes of action. Going into the UVA game, Foley was averaging 17.6 points per game over her last five outings (19 vs. BU; 12 at UConn; 20 vs. URI; 18 vs. Memphis; 19 vs. WKU).

HIGHS AND LOWS: Holy Cross was held to a season-low 39 total points and a season-low 18 points in a half against Virginia on Dec. 29 in the title game of the Marriott Cavalier Classic. The Crusaders' previous low point total was 41 against Western Kentucky (20 in a half vs. WKU) on Dec. 2 at the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic. In addition, Holy Cross' 41 point loss (80-39) to the Cavaliers was the team's biggest margin of defeat this season. Further, the Crusaders turned the ball over 33 times against Virginia, which is also a season high.

FOLEY POSTS ANOTHER CAREER HIGH: Junior center Kaitlin Foley hit for another career-high when she pumped in a team-high and career-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor against URI on Dec. 7. Foley has set and surpassed career highs in points three times this season (18 at Northeastern, 19 vs. Western Kentucky, 20 vs. URI). Foley recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds at UMass earlier this season.

Foley leads the team in scoring (15.4 points per game) and is fourth in the Patriot League in that same category. She also leads the conference in field goal percentage (56.3 percent), is third in the league in free throw percentage (79.5 percent), tied for fourth in blocks (0.73 blocks per game), and 10th in rebounds (6.2 rebounds per game).

LIGHTS OUT: Holy Cross set a number of season records with their 91 point outing against Memphis earlier this season. The Purple and White had an 18 point lead at halftime (previous best was a two point lead at the half against Northeastern), and scored a season-high 49 points in one half (previous high was 39 points against Saint Peter's). They also forced a season-high 27 turnovers, giving them a 2-0 record when forcing 20+ miscues (previous high was 21 against Northeastern).

Additionally, the Crusaders shot better than 50 percent from the floor for the first time this season in their 25 point win over the Tigers. Last year's championship team beat three teams by 25 points or more (31 point win at Navy, 73-48; 43 point win over Iona, 89-46; 31 point win over Buffalo, 73-42).

FOLEY EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS: Junior center Kaitlin Foley earned a spot on the Wells Fargo/Arizona State Holiday Classic All Tournament Team after her performances that weekend, in which she averaged 18.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, while shooting .739 (17-for-23) from the floor.

In the first round against Western Kentucky, Foley pumped in a team-high and a then-career high 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting, surpassing her previous career high of 18 points set earlier this season at Northeastern. Then in the consolation game, the Albany native scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in 26 minutes of action in Holy Cross' 91-66 blowout win over Memphis.

KEIL BACK ON TRACK: Junior guard Brittany Keil has reached double figures in four of the last six games and is just shy of averaging 10 points (9.0 points per game) a game this season. Against Boston University, Keil had a stellar all-around game with 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. At UConn, Keil totaled 11 points, five rebounds and three assists after a 13-point, five-rebound night against URI and a 16-point, 12-rebound outing against Memphis at the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic. Keil appears to have shot her way out of a two game slump, in which she went 0-for-11 from the field (0-6 vs. WKU; 0-5 at BC) prior to the Memphis game. Before her 16 point outing against the Tigers, Keil had been 4-for-22 in the previous three games.

Keil recorded three double-doubles in the first seven games of the season. In addition to her 16 points and 12 boards against Memphis, she posted her first career double-double at Northeastern (16 points, 11 rebounds), and registered the second double-double of her career after an 11-point, 10-rebound performance against Dartmouth.

PICKING UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF: Sophomore point guard Laura Aloisi (Nashua, N.H.) is once again leading the team in assists (36 assists) and assists per game (3.27 apg) this season. The second year playmaker now has 155 career assists, after her rookie campaign in which she led the team and finished second in the Patriot League with 119 helpers.

Aloisi is currently second the Patriot League in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.38; 36 assists, 26 turnovers), ranks fifth in assists (3.27 apg) and sixth in blocked shots (0.55 bpg). In addition, the New Hampshire native is an impressive .867 percent (13-for-15) from the free throw line.

GRUZ GETS HER FEET WET: Freshman forward Kathy Gruzynski (Elk Grove, Ill.) continues to contribute in the paint for the Crusaders. The six-foot-two post player scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in a career-high 11 minutes of action against Memphis at the Wells Fargo Holiday Classic. Gruzynski scored a career-high five points against Dartmouth in nine minutes of action earlier this season, and pulled down a career-high five rebounds in nine minutes of action at UMass.

STREAK ENDS:Brittany Keil was 12-for-12 (1.000 percent) from the free throw line going into the Memphis game, but made just 6-of-9 foul shots against the Tigers, ending her bid to reach Maggie Fontana `05, who set a program record with 26 consecutive free throws (across five games). For the season, Keil is now 19-for-23 from the line (82.6 percent), which is third best in the Patriot League.

GETTING TO THE LINE: Two of the top ten free throw shooters in the League are Holy Cross Crusaders. Senior guard Shannon Bush ranks second in the league in free throw percentage (85.7 percent; 30-for-35), and Kaitlin Foley is seventh (76.5 percent; 39-for-51). As a team, Holy Cross ranks fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (69.8 percent; 157-for-225).

TOUGH `D': The Crusaders are ranked in the top 3 in the Patriot League in a number of defensive categories this season. They are ranked second in the League in three-point field goal percentage defense (27.1 percent), and blocks (2.42 blocks per game), and third in steals (9.58 steals per game). Against Memphis, Holy Cross held the Tiger's to 34.3 percent from the floor, and against Saint Peter's, Holy Cross held the Peahens to a season-low 27.5 percent from the floor.

COUNTDOWN TO 1,000:Sarah Placek came into the season with 810 career points and she is now just 92 points away from being the program's 22nd 1,000 point scorer. Should Placek reach the 1,000 point plateau, it would mark the third consecutive season a Holy Cross women's basketball player joined the 1,000 point club (Lisa Andrews in 2004-05, Maggie Fontana in 2003-04). Placek would also be the sixth Holy Cross player in the last four years (Andrews in 2004-05, Fontana in 2003-04, and Katie O'Keefe, Jeanette Paukert and Amanda Abraham in 2001-02) to score 1,000 career points.

Placek needs to average 7.0 points per game this year to reach the 1,000 point mark in the regular season. She is currently averaging 8.1 points per game. In her three years in a Holy Cross uniform, the five-foot-three guard has never finished a season with an average below 8.5 points per game. Her sophomore season, she averaged a career-best 10.5 points per game. Placek's career high in a single game is 23 points (Dec. 7, 2004 at Rhode Island).

CRUSADERS PICKED TO REPEAT: Holy Cross was recently picked first in the Patriot League preseason poll for the second consecutive season. The Crusaders received 94 total votes, inlcuding 11 first place nods. Holy Cross is coming off its 16th 20-win season under the direction of head coach Bill Gibbons and its 10th Patriot League Tournament Title.

KEIL NAMED PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE: Junior guard/forward Brittany Keil (Sparta, N.J.) was named to the Patriot League Preseason All-League Team. Keil returns to the Holy Cross line-up as the team's top scorer (9.6 ppg) and rebounder (5.3 rpg). She is also the team's top three-point (.420 percent) and free throw (.810 percent) shooter from a year ago.

WELCOME TO WORCESTER:Morgan Valley is in her first season as assistant coach on the Holy Cross staff. Valley graduated from Connecticut in May and won three national titles with the Huskies under head coach Geno Auriemma.

SIXTEEN 20-WIN SEASONS: The Holy Cross women's basketball program has totaled 18 twenty-win seasons its 31 years of existence, and has amassed 16 twenty-win seasons while a NCAA Divsion I member. The past 16 twenty-win seasons have also come under the direction of head coach Bill Gibbons. Gibbons has led the Crusaders to more victories than any other coach in Holy Cross history during his 20-year tenure. He has won 20 or more games in 10 of the last 11 seasons and in 16 seasons overall.

400-CLUB:Bill Gibbons currently ranks 34th on the list of winningest active Division I coaches (by percent) and 36th by number of wins, according to the 2005 NCAA Women's Basketball Record Book. He is the winningest head basketball coach in Holy Cross history and is the second-winningest coach - of any sport - in school history, behind former baseball coach Jack Barry, who totaled 616 wins from 1921-1960.

HEAD COACH Bill Gibbons:Bill Gibbons is in his 21st season at the helm of the Holy Cross women's basketball program. He has led the Crusaders to 10 Patriot League Championships in the last 15 years and has also led the team to 12 postseason appearances (11 NCAA Tournaments and one WNIT) in his 20 years as head coach. With sixteen 20-win seasons under his belt, Gibbons has cemented himself and the women's basketball program as one of the best in the Northeast.

The sixth coach of the women's program at Holy Cross, Gibbons has enjoyed the longest tenure in this position. He has led Holy Cross women's basketball to more victories than any other coach, and is the winningest coach in Holy Cross basketball history. With his 358th victory, he surpassed George Blaney, who had the most wins (357) in the Crusader men's basketball program, and now with more than 400 wins under his belt, Gibbons is the second-winningest coach in Holy Cross Athletics history, behind former baseball coach Jack Barry. In 2003, Gibbons was inducted into the New England College Basketball Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island. He currently ranks 34th on the list of winningest active Division I coaches (by percent) and 36th by number of wins, according to the 2005 NCAA Women's Basketball Record Book.

During Gibbons' 20-year reign, three players have earned Patriot League Female Scholar Athlete of the Year honors: Amy O'Brien `98, Kathy Courtney `97 and Ann Lambiotte `91, and four players have earned Patriot League Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors: Lambiotte (1991), Courtney (1997), O'Brien (1998, 1999) and Lisa Andrews (2005). His teams have consistently ranked among the best at Holy Cross for overall team GPA, while maintaining their success on the court as well. Last season, Holy Cross was one of just three schools in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field with a graduation rate of 100 percent. The Crusader program has produced four Academic All-Americans and more than 10 Academic All-District picks.

2004-2005 HONORS: Four players from the Holy Cross women's basketball team were named to the 2005 Patriot League All-Conference Team at the end of last season. Since graduated seniors Lisa Andrews (Concord, Mass.) and Maggie Fontana (Barrington, Ill.) earned First Team All-League accolades, and current sophomores Laura Aloisi (Nashua, N.H.) and Ashley McLaughlin (Andover, Mass.) were selected to the All-Rookie Team.

Andrews, who was also voted as the 2005 Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, was named the 2005 Patriot League Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The six-foot-three center started all 31 games for the Crusaders last season and led the team in points (396), points per game (12.8), field goal percent (.471), field goals made (162) and blocks (55). She tied for first in rebounds (168) and was second on the team in rebounds per game (5.4). Andrews also shot .727 percent from the free throw line, which was third-best on the HC squad.

In addition, Fontana was named the Samantha Vellaccio Award winner, which is presented annually to the varsity women's basketball player who best exemplifies the mission of Holy Cross both on and off the court. Fontana finished her career with 1,556 points (sixth all-time at Holy Cross, 10th all-time in Patriot League), 767 rebounds (fourth all-time at Holy Cross, 11th all-time PL), 420 assists (seventh all-time at Holy Cross, eighth all-time PL) and 251 steals (third all-time at Holy Cross, 10th all-time PL). She is one of only five players in Holy Cross women's basketball history to collect more than 1,500 points and 750 rebounds in their career.

Further, seven players on the team were named to the 2005 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll last season. Since-graduated senior Caitlin Agostinacchio (Bellmore, N.Y.) and current junior Brittany Keil (Sparta, N.J.) were among just four women's basketball players throughout the League to earn 4.0 grade point averages during the Spring semester. Andrews, Fontana, Jessica Conte, Kaitlin Foley and Sarah Placek were the other Crusaders who earned all-academic league accolades.

HC SIGNS FOUR TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT: Head coach Bill Gibbons announced that four student-athletes have signed national letters of intent to attend Holy Cross in the fall of 2006. Tayana Carper (Shrewsbury, Mass.) of Shrewsbury High School, Christy Cushnie (Vienna, Va.) of James Madison High School, Briana McFadden (Wheaton, Md.) of Good Counsel High School, and Bethany O'Dell (Lincoln, R.I.) of Lincoln High School, will all be donning the purple and white next season.

WHERE TO FIND HOLY CROSS BASKETBALLON TELEVISION: WCTR-TV3 will broadcast the January 16 game against Duke and the January 24 game against Colgate live from the Hart Center this season. Available in more than 20 communities in Central Massachusetts, WCTR-TV3 reaches more than 129,000 homes in the area.

ON THE INTERNET: Any information on Holy Cross basketball or the 26 other varsity sports at HC is also available through the Holy Cross Athletics website at: www.goholycross.com.

THE HOLY CROSS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SHOW: Tune in to WCTR TV-3 Wednesday nights at 8:30 p.m. and Friday nights at 10:30 p.m. for the Holy Cross Women's Basketball Show with Head Coach Bill Gibbons. Each week, WCTR TV-3 Sports Director Kevin Shea will sit down with Gibbons and members of this year's coaching staff and team and talk about all things Holy Cross basketball, and the Crusaders quest for the 2005-2006 Patriot League Championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

MEDIA POLICIESINFORMATION AND CREDENTIALS: Media personnel wishing to cover Holy Cross home games should contact Brianne Mallaghan in the Holy Cross Athletic Media Relations Office at 508-792-2780 or via email at bmallagh@holycross.edu at least one week in advance. Working press and photo passes will be left at the will-call window located near the main entrance of the Hart Recreation Center.

INTERVIEWS: Interviews with Head Coach Bill Gibbons, his staff and Holy Cross players can be set up by contacting Brianne Mallaghan in the Holy Cross Athletic Media Relations Office at (508) 793-2780 or via email at bmallagh@holycross.edu. Arrangements for interviews should be made atleast 24 hours in advance. Coach Gibbons is generally available each weekday morning during the season, as well as before and after practices. Player interviews will be arranged subject to the individual student-athlete's academic responsibilities.

PRESS SERVICES: Game notes and programs are available in the press room one hour before each game. Halftime and final statistics and a running play-by-play will be available about 15 minutes following the game.

POSTGAME PROCEDURES: The Holy Cross women's basketball locker room is closed to the media. Members of the media should submit player interview requests to Brianne Mallaghan, the Holy Cross women's basketball contact, by the five-minute mark of the second half. Players and Coaches will be available for postgame interviews following a 10-minute cooling off period after the game.

RADIO AND TRANSMITTING: Holy Cross has installed phone lines which can be rented by a visiting radio station. The cost for rental is $75.00 for commercial stations and $50.00 for student stations.

HOLY CROSS ON THE INTERNET: For the most updated information on the Crusaders, check out the Holy Cross website. The site contains statistics for every Crusader basketball game, as well as cumulative stats, rosters, schedules, weekly notes and photo archives. Log on to www.goholycross.com.

College of the Holy CrossDepartment of Athletics 1 College Street Worcester, MA 01610